


Waiting, Waiting, Contemplating.

by writerofthings66



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, deanoru - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:34:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22172629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writerofthings66/pseuds/writerofthings66
Summary: "She grabbed her bag and stopped for a second, one last glance at a photo she took last year, when pink met black both smiling without a worry in the world. She sighed when she heard Gert's car pulling up in front of her house. "What's getting you down today?" - High School AU/ Nico lost her sister and isolates herself from the group, will they find their way back to each other?
Relationships: Karolina Dean/Nico Minoru
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	1. Back to School

Chapter 1: Back to school

Karolina Dean looked out of her bedroom window while she was getting ready for a new year at Atlas high. So much had changed recently, she couldn't comprehend the tiny things that led to everything and everyone falling apart. She was thinking about everyone; these days she would only hang out with Gert, the rest moved on went to better things new friends. But Karolina could never shake the feeling that they belonged together, even if they were leading separate lives nowadays.

"Karolina breakfast is ready, stop procrastinating" Het Mother was downstairs already with one foot out the front door "Yeah, Gert's driving me today so you can go" She couldn't hear another lecture about the joys of giving. She grabbed her bag and stopped for a second, one last glance at a photo she took last year, when pink met black both smiling without a worry in the world. She sighed when she heard Gert's car pulling up in front of her house. "What's getting you down today?" Gert looked happier than usual, "Just reminiscing never good for the soul" Karolina knew she couldn't turn back time, Amy died and Nico just shut everything and everyone out, she got homeschooled and didn't want to see anyone not even her. It still stung when she thought about it, but the only thing she could do was give her time. "She'll be back" Gert said before hitting the gas pedal and driving them to school.

Atlas High was many things, but it wasn't very discreet. People were always gossiping about each other but at least today it wasn't about them "So what's your first class?" Gert asked while she looked at her schedule. "History" Karolina walked towards her classroom "Well then we go our separate ways here; see ya at lunch"

Karolina opened the door of her class, and what she saw there would change the next few weeks for sure. A girl dressed in black with sunglasses was sitting in her usual spot, she sported a look of ignorance on her face and looked at her notebook. Karolina froze and didn't know what to do, she's back but why? Why wouldn't she call or text that she was coming. Purpose found it's way into her feet and she walked towards her desk "H-hey Nico" Nico looked up from her paper for a moment but didn't say anything, she had a blank expression on her face and continued her doodling. Karolina couldn't stop stealing glances during the class, Nico looked a bit thinner then she used to be, her eyes were hidden by the dark glasses, what she wouldn't give to slide them down and make it all better for her friend.

"Well how were your classe- oh wait she's back?" Gert noticed Nico in the cafeteria "Yeah I didn't know either, she didn't say a word and just looked blank" Karolina fidgeted a bit with her lunch but couldn't eat, she could feel eyes on the back of her head the whole time "It was just so unfair they deserved equality,-" Gert's words sounded like a faraway echo to Karolina all she could think was; why didn't she text?

The rest of the day went by in a blur, she was distracted and irritable. After that it got even worse, she bumped into someone, her bag and it contents were all on the floor. But the more interesting part was the goth girl that was kneeling before it apologising and picking everything up. Until she noticed Karolina. "Here are your things" She made a beeline for the exit and Karolina was speechless. why didn't she talk?

That evening when she was going trough her things, she noticed something odd. There was a tiny black envelope in her bag. She reached for it and opened it carefully, she smiled. Because the drawing was a little pink/black heart. They used to draw those all the time. "So she does remember" Karolina smiled maybe she could get trough to her friend.

**

_*One year ago*_

_"Mom, Dad I'm gay". "You're what? Leslie Dean looked as if something was on fire. "Okay let's all calm down" Frank looked at his daughter with compassion "It's alright you should go to the Minoru house for a bit I will calm your mother down" Karolina jumped out of her seat and rushed out of the house._

_She rang the bell at the Minoru house, the walk cleared her head a little. She wanted to come out to her parents for a while now, but the timing was never right, so she just said it at a random moment. "Maybe it was stupid" she said to herself. But no one else knew not even Nico. "Hey Karolina, where we expecting you?" Tina Minoru opened the front door, she didn't like her. She was always so strict about everything. "Nico's upstairs, you can go" She probably noticed the tear stains on her cheeks._

_"Hey Nico" She opened the door to her room a little, "Karolina" She smiled. "I just came out to my parents, and my mom sh- she didn't took it very well" Nico walked over to Karolina in a heartbeat and held her tight. "It'll be alright, she'll accept you for who you are we all will" Nico smiled gently and patted her head "Should've told me sooner though, because you basically have a gay panic attack every time we change for gym class" Nico teased. "Well I just didn't know what to tell people it's kind of a delicate subject" Karolina sniffed. "Well you know Gert, nobody straight says Heteronormative in so many sentences a day" they both laughed until the mood was a bit lighter, more tangible. Nico looked at Karolina with an unspoken expression on her face, words wouldn't do it justice. It was one of the last moments they shared before Nico lost her sister._

**

"Well has she said anything to you yet?" Gert asked trough the phone "No, only the note, it's weird though why go trough all the trouble?" Well it is Nico we're talking about, an enigma in a black dress she thought. "Maybe tomorrow she'll feel better about going back to school"

"Maybe" Karolina said her goodbyes and went to sleep for the night. Tomorrow would be better, it had to be. Maybe she just wasn't ready to face the world yet.


	2. Chapter 2: Why So Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Here's Chapter 2; I hope everyone has a great week. 
> 
> xo

Chapter 2: Why so blue

Karolina woke up with the worst headache imaginable. She didn't expect the first day of school to be so emotionally draining. But alas, new day new opportunities. 

When she got downstairs both her parents were already having breakfast. "So, when are you going to bring someone home?" Leslie Dean got used to her daughter being gay pretty fast, the only thing she did nowadays was nagging her to have an actual date, with an actual girl. "Haven't found the right person yet mom, let's eat" Karolina felt her cheeks getting red and she just couldn't deal with her emotions today. 

Thankfully she got saved by the honk, she grabbed a piece of toast and walked towards Gert's car. "You know, I should really ask you for a fee. I'm not your personal cab" Gert chuckled "Molly always runs to school, so I like the company" She quickly added "Well yours is not bad either" Karolina side hugged Gert "All right, let's stop being cheesy and get this party on the road".

"Hey Gert" Chase walked towards the car without his posse of jocks. "I was wondering how you and Molly are doing?" He smiled sheepishly and looked a bit embarrassed. "We're doing fine thank you very much" Gert was already nodding to Karolina to just move on, but Chase wouldn't let them go so easily. "Wait, I just wanna talk is that such a bad thing?" He pleaded. "It is when you pretend we don't exist when your little friends are around" Gert sneered. "I'm sorry but sometimes things change" He looked at the ground, this was not how he imagined this conversation to go. "I'm sorry Gert, but come on. We haven't seen each other for so long and I hear Alex is putting something together for the six of us so just wanted to let you two know" they both looked intrigued now, getting the gang together since it's been so long, they were both curious how that would be. "Okay, what's the plan" Gert asked with a hint of irritation, "Well we were going to send everybody a text with a place and time, it'll probably be at Alex because his parents are never home". 

"Well let's do it" The three of them nodded in agreement "We've been ignoring each other for too long now, it's time to talk. "Okay it's set for Friday so tomorrow night come around eight- ish and don't be angry beforehand we're going to talk things trough. "Does everyone get an invite?" "Yes Karolina we've also texted Nico" Gert and Karolina both continued their walk to class after the little hold up. Karolina was wondering if Nico would show. It was a little out of the blue of Chase to invite them and how did he even talk with Alex, well they would find out tomorrow probably. 

The rest of the day went by pretty smooth, until Karolina was in one of her art classes, the teacher was talking about different compositions and shading techniques but she couldn't care less, all she could think about was everything that could go wrong if they were going to meet up, she noticed her heart rate going up a bit and the dizziness caught her off guard. Her first instinct was to leave just leave the room behind. She ran to the first bathroom she could find and splashed cold water in her face to get it together for a while. She was too caught up in it to see the other girl coming out of the stall behind her. Suddenly she was held by someone around her waist hands creeping over her stomach, she could feel the ragged breaths against her back. When she looked down all she could see was the black nail polish and the ring she gave her for her sixteenth birthday. 

"I'm so sorry"

They stood like that for what felt like an hour until Karolina spoke first "Why didn't you talk to me" she tried to turn around to look at her but the grip got tighter around her waist. "I didn't know what to say, I got overwhelmed by the fact that anybody, anyone can just leave. Just like that, they are gone and then you the person that's still here sees the traces they left behind. The pictures of what was. I got so scared of the thought of people leaving me behind. That's why it was easier for me to just go" Nico cried the words out like a dark whisper "In the end it was just easier to not say anything" 

Karolina turned around now, she could see the hurt, the unspoken truth of everything that Nico just said. There were no words, so she did the only thing that mattered, she held her. 

"Nico I can't promise you that nothing bad will ever happen to any of us, but at least we can be there for each other, support each other" 

Nico let go this time, she looked up to her best friend. "I feel so stupid now, when I saw you yesterday in class I just couldn't bring up the right words, everything felt inadequate to describe the time we spent apart. "I missed you Karo"

"I missed you too, don't you go disappearing on me like that again Nico Minoru or I will personally drag you out of your house. I gave you enough space to last the rest of your life, now let's talk next time something bad happens" Karolina smiled and removed a stray hair that covered Nico's eyes. "I was angry to be honest for a while, I didn't understand why you didn't let me in. But I'd probably do the same if something like that happened to me" Karolina sighed, they were finally able to talk to each other again. "Why the black envelope with the heart though?"

"I just wanted you to remember before I had the courage to talk to you" Nico looked at her feet "The thing is Nico, I remembered the moment I saw you sitting there with those dumb sunglasses. Now they both laughed out loud "Is Alex still being uptight about everything he does?" Nico asked genuinely wondering how the rest of the group were doing "Well funny you ask, we kind of fell apart after, turns out you were the glue keeping us together Nico" Karolina teased. "But we're meeting up again tomorrow evening to talk things out Chase's words not mine" 

"Well that should be fun"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's in store for them next? I'll probably write it this week :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone!  
> Just a first chapter, haven't written anything for a while. Let me know if you want me to continue this little story. 
> 
> xo


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